Syracuse, N.Y. – Jim Boeheim wants to coach his son the same way he’s coached every other player during his 45-year tenure at Syracuse.
Buddy Boeheim wants no special treatment from his father, either.
As a result, the two don’t often give in to introspective thoughts on the father-son, coach-player dynamic.
But there are times when you have to step back and take in the moment. Acknowledge the experience. Appreciate the special opportunity.
Friday night in Indianapolis, Jim and Buddy Boeheim shared one of those moments.
Buddy Boeheim put on a performance for the ages, scoring 30 points on 11-for-15 shooting to lead 11th-seeded Syracuse to a 78-62 victory over No. 6 seed San Diego State in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
In a game played in historic Hinkle Fieldhouse, the gym made famous in the movie “Hoosiers,” Buddy played the role of Jimmy Chitwood and drilled shot after shot. He drained seven 3-pointers, the last from Milan.
After the game, Buddy was asked what it meant to win an NCAA tournament game while playing for his father. It’s the type of question that the Syracuse junior usually downplays or side-steps. Perhaps he knows that with his next off-night, the father-son relationship will turn into whispers of nepotism.
Not on this night.
On this night, Buddy Boeheim’s 30 points were the most for a Syracuse player in an NCAA tournament game since Wes Johnson scored 31 in a win over Gonzaga in the 2010 tournament.
So this time, Buddy revealed what it means to him to play for his father.
“It’s everything to me,’' Buddy said. “He believed in me before I believed in myself. Seventh, eighth grade. I was never the best player, never the best athlete. But he was always there for me, telling me he believed in me. He thought I could be a good player one day. That’s all I needed to hear.’'
If Jim Boeheim takes pride in Buddy’s exploits, he puts it in the same realm as when he watched his daughter, Jamie, win three state championships while playing for Jamesville-DeWitt High School, or his oldest son, Jimmy, who spent the last three years at Cornell.
“It’s just a great feeling to see them play well,’' Jim Boeheim said. “Sissy won three state championships. They were as good as anything I’ve been involved in, to watch her play that and win those.’'
Buddy admitted that when he was a freshman, he felt the pressure of playing for his father and wearing the same No. 35 jersey that his father wore in the 1960s.
“He’s a Hall of Fame coach,’' Buddy Boeheim said of his father. “You’re playing at one of the best programs in college basketball. So early on, it definitely got to me a little.’'
Buddy Boeheim was ranked 349th in the 2018 recruiting class, but his dad brought him to Syracuse anyway. Into the spotlight. Into the glare.
What did Jim Boeheim, the coach, see in Buddy Boeheim, the player that said this 349th-rated prospect could play for Syracuse?
“He was always a good shooter,’' Boeheim said. “That helps. I knew because of his mother that he’d be tall. If he was six-foot, he’d still be a pretty good player, but it would probably be at Le Moyne or Ithaca or someplace. But he has the right mother.’'
Buddy also possessed one highly-valued skill.
“He could always shoot,’' Jim Boeheim said. “Shooters have a way of being able to play, especially shooters with good size.’'
Buddy has been shooting the lights out lately.
In Syracuse’s past eight games, Buddy is averaging 24.1 points. He has made 53.1% of his field-goal attempts and he’s 38-for-77 (49.3%) from 3-point range.
His seven 3-pointers against San Diego State tied his career-high.
“Honestly, in warmups I felt great,’' Buddy Boeheim said. “I felt like I wasn’t missing many shots. I felt loose and ready to go.
“After the first shot, it was kind of a contested, deep one, I was like, ‘All right, let’s keep this going.’’'
Syracuse’s offense sputtered at the start of the game.
Four minutes in, Syracuse had just three points.
Then Buddy made that first 3-pointer. That shot sparked a run of 16 consecutive points for Boeheim. He capped his personal rally with a jumper to give Syracuse a 19-18 lead with just more than eight minutes left in the first half.
Not that Syracuse’s win was all about Buddy Buckets. Syracuse got contributions from several sources. In fact, the Orange pushed past the Aztecs after Boeheim had to go to the bench after picking up his second foul with 5 minutes, 37 seconds remaining in the half. The Orange closed the half on an 18-0 run.
“I trust my teammates, and when I came out, I said, ‘We’re going to be fine,’’' Boeheim said. “They did a great job. I wasn’t even in there when we broke the game away. I came out and maybe we were up one and next thing you know we’re up nine with Joe making plays, Kadary making plays, Rob hitting the big three. It just shows it’s not just me. It’s everyone.’'
Buddy Boeheim’s post-game press conference lasted all of 10 minutes. Syracuse’s next game would be in less than 48 hours against No. 3 seed West Virginia.
This brief window into the father-son dynamic would soon close. At least to those on the outside.
But before it shut, Buddy Boeheim offered one final thought.
“This means everything to me,’' he said. “It’s something we’ll cherish forever. That’s my best friend. There’s nothing like it. Through the ups and downs, I’m going to appreciate every moment and never take it for granted.’'
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